Effect of Gravity/ Vibration/ Centrifugal Process on Mechanical Properties of an Al-Si Alloy

Abstract

On this paper, a study that evaluates the influence of some variables on the mechanical
properties of the vertical centrifugal casting is made. It is emphasized the fact that the centrifugal
effect from vertical centrifugal casting brings special features on mechanical properties. It has been
observed that the centrifugal effect may substantially increase, in some alloys, the rupture strength,
rupture strain, and Young modulus, as compared to the gravity casting technique. When compared
to gravity casting, the centrifugal casting process, besides the centrifugal force (pressure effect),
always has an inherent associated vibration during the casting. In this study, as an attempt to isolate
the vibration effect from the overall centrifugal effect, tests on castings obtained by vibrating
gravity casting process are made. A comparison between castings obtained by centrifugal casting
technique, vibrating casting technique and gravity casting technique is made in order to fully
understand the features that allow the improvement on mechanical properties during the vertical
centrifugal casting technique. An analysis of the most important effects, on both mechanical
properties and on some metallurgical features is made.